Vehicle rear body structure

Abstract

A rear body structure of a vehicle has a pair of first reinforcement members, second reinforcement members and third reinforcement members. The first members are provided from both edges of the roof to a front section of the pickup bed. Each first member is provided so that its front section lies along one of the edges of the roof while its rear section lies along one of the first pillars. The second members are provided on upper edges of side panels provided at both sides of the pickup bed from the front to rear ends of the pickup bed. Each second member is jointed, at the front end to one of the first members. Each second member is segmented into a first crushable zone and a second zone. The first zone is located behind the second zone and more fragile than the second zone against the load applied from behind the vehicle. Each third member is provided from a lower edge of one of the side panels at the corresponding rear end of the pickup bed to a rear end of the second zone in the vicinity of a front end of the first zone so as to effectively absorb the collision energy.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A rear body structure of a vehicle having: 
       a cabin;  
       a pickup bed provided behind the cabin;  
       a roof covering an upper section of the cabin;  
       a pair of first pillars provided at both rear ends of the cabin;  
       a pair of side panels provided at both sides of the pickup bed from front ends of the pickup bed to the rear ends thereof, comprising:  
       a pair of first reinforcement members provided from both edges of the roof to a front section of the pickup bed so that a front section of each first member lies along one of the edges of the roof while a rear section of each first member lies along one of the first pillars;  
       a pair of second reinforcement members provided on upper edges of the side panels, each second reinforcement member being jointed, at a front end, to one of the first reinforcement members, each second reinforcement member being segmented into a first crushable zone and a second zone, the first crushable zone being located behind the second zone and being more fragile than the second zone against a load to be applied from behind the vehicle; and  
       a pair of third reinforcement members each provided from a lower edge of one of the side panels at the corresponding rear end of the pickup bed to a rear end of the second zone in the vicinity of a front end of the first crushable zone.  
     
     
       2. The rear body structure according to  claim 1 , further comprising a tailgate located behind the pickup bed and a pair of second pillars erected at the rear ends of the pickup bed, the tailgate having a pair of hinges each provided at a lower end of one of the second pillars, 
       wherein each third reinforcement member is provided from the lower end of one of the second pillar in the vicinity of the corresponding hinge to the rear end of the second zone.  
     
     
       3. The rear body structure according to  claim 1  further comprising a pair of pipes each provided from a rear end of one of the edges of the roof to the rear end of the second zone in the vicinity of a point at which the second and the third reinforcement members are jointed to one another. 
     
     
       4. The rear body structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the third reinforcement member is a press-molded bead.